The Hurt of the World

I have been thinking a lot about the world lately. Actually, to be honest, I think about the world a lot in general. I am always concerned with the world because well, I live in the world. And the world has a lot of problems. If you read my poetry, you will probably notice that I write a lot about the world and its problems and my hopes for the world.

I often think about why the world is in so much need. I think about why there are children starving and being abused and kidnapped and exploited and suffering with preventable diseases. I think about why there are people that suffer with mental or physical health issues, but aren’t able to get treatment for it. I think about why people devalue each other with their words or actions or gestures. I think about why people are homeless or excluded or lonely.

And then, I stop thinking about it.

I stop because there are no reasons. There is no good explanation for the hurt of the world. There is no good reason for the aching that will never disappear. There’s nothing we can do or say to explain why preventable pain isn’t being prevented.

And then, I think about what I can do.

We can’t stop the pain by ourselves. We can’t change the world by sheer willpower. But we can make a difference. We can start a ripple effect. We can change things and people where we are. We can grow where we are planted. And by doing what we can, we will make the world a better place.

Never think that because you are just one person in a world of billions of people that you can’t make a difference. Sometimes it’s the little things that make a difference. I could give you hundreds of stories of little things people have done for me that saved my life. I could tell you about people that held the door open for me or smiled at me or said hi to me. I don’t know some of their names, but their actions saved me. Their kindness saved me. And your kindness can save people too.

I have always known that I am just a pebble in a pond full of rocks, but I also know that pebbles can make ripples across the whole pond. I don’t expect to ever be more than a pebble, but I will always do what I can to make ripples. And I hope you will too.